Those fearing a major price hike from Apple on its newly released Macs can breathe a sigh of relief because none of the technology giant’s machines are going to become expensive, at least not right now. Instead, according to the latest report, due to the ongoing DRAM and storage shortage caused by AI data centers securing the majority of supply, the external storage products sold on Apple’s online and offline stores have become pricier. Customers who relied on brands like SanDisk to offload their crucial data without spending ludicrous sums of money will likely feel betrayed because a 1TB drive now costs $360, up from $120.
Looking at these external storage price updates, Apple can be considered a benevolent company, charging just $100 when going from a 512GB to a 1TB SSD
On the latest edition of Mark Gurman’s ‘Power On’ newsletter, the Bloomberg correspondent states that buyers who are now diving into grabbing external SSDs from manufacturers like SanDisk are going to be in a world of financial pain because a 4TB version, which would typically for $500, is going for $1,200, making it more than twice the price bump. Similarly, a 1TB external drive that used to cost $120 is now listed for $360, making it a mammoth 300 percent increase.
“This past week, Apple updated the pricing of several different external drive offerings on both its website and at retail stores, I’m told, and it’s not pretty for would-be buyers. For instance, a SanDisk 4-terabyte solid-state external drive that once cost roughly $500 is now $1,200, while a 1-terabyte version has gone from $120 to $360. Drives from other manufacturers were affected as well. It’s important to note that the vendors, not Apple, set their pricing, but this is yet another tangible piece of evidence that supply constraints are hurting consumers.”
Apple has typically received immense flak for overcharging customers for unified memory and storage upgrades, but looking at the current state of RAM and SSDs, it seems like the way opposite is happening. To put into perspective, the Cupertino firm recently phased out the 512GB models its M5 MacBook Pro lineup, introducing a 1TB variant in its place. However, there’s only a $100 difference between these two portable Macs, with the base version sporting 16GB unified RAM and 512GB storage listed for $1,399.99 on Amazon, with the 1TB model going for $1,499.99.
It should also be mentioned that buyers who are willing to swallow their pride and fork over the premium are facing another conundrum; finding inventory. In the majority of cases, including Apple’s website, external SSDs have sold out, and it’s probably going to get much worse as 2026 progresses.
News Source: Bloomberg
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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